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I wasn't sure whether to put it under classic wrestling or here. I figure since it is news, it would go here. Sorry in advance if I made the wrong call!

Ric Flair is no longer under WWE contract.
This is the word of Dave Meltzer on the Saturday Night's Main Event podcast, contradicting a previous report from WrestlingNews.co that 'The Nature Boy' was still signed to the promotion. The original story emerged shortly after news of Sting's WWE departure hit the internet.
Flair's last significant WWE appearance came on July 2019's Raw Reunion show, where he was featured alongside Triple H, Hulk Hogan, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, and others. He was an important piece of the Triple H vs. Batista WrestleMania 35 feud prior to that, with 'The Animal' beating up his former Evolution stablemate and dragging him out of his locker room to provoke a reaction from 'The Game.'
It's unlikely that WWE fans have seen the last of the 16-time World Champion though. Flair has drifted in and out of WWE's sphere since returning for the 2012 Hall of Fame induction ceremony and will likely continue doing so for as long as he is able to, particularly as his daughter, Charlotte, remains one of the promotion's most strongly-pushed athletes.
Still, for now, Ric Flair isn't collecting a WWE paycheck.

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To this very day, Austin and Hogan are signed with the WWE and they still collect WWE paychecks. I am curious to know how come the same courtesy isnt extended to Ric Flair by the WWE given how they have exploited him and his family for so many years.

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To this very day, Austin and Hogan are signed with the WWE and they still collect WWE paychecks. I am curious to know how come the same courtesy isnt extended to Ric Flair by the WWE given how they have exploited him and his family for so many years.

Maybe Austin and Hogan are only paid for appearances, and Flair had some kind of monthly minimum?

Maybe Flair didnt want to resign with his recent health issues?

Maybe Austin and Hogan draw more attention to the WWE brand and are therefore considered more valuable?

Maybe the WWE will also terminate Hogan and Austins contracts when they expire, and this is a cost cutting measure due to covid19?

Whatever the reason, WWE certainly hasnt exploited Flair. He's been pampered and hyped for decades, and was always treated as the legend of legends, even though he ironically could never outdraw WWF's own stars. I.e. the beforementioned Austin and Hogan.

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To this very day, Austin and Hogan are signed with the WWE and they still collect WWE paychecks. I am curious to know how come the same courtesy isnt extended to Ric Flair by the WWE given how they have exploited him and his family for so many years.

Well it's not inconceivable that HHH got sick of Flair. We should keep in mind that Flair and Arn Anderson were the best of friends for decades, until a big fallout a few years ago. Who knows, but Flair is now 71, and the fact that he is even alive is a testament to what the human body can endure, considering he lived most of his life partying so hard that it would have killed most of us in our 40s.

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To be fair losing Flair is no big loss to WWE. At least with Hogan, you can trot him out for nostalgia and usually have him not look like a drunken fool and Austin had that interview series that he was doing for the network which I am sure the pandemic has affected so he still has uses to WWE as well. The number of people that WWE essentially pays to do nothing is ridiculous.

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Well it's not inconceivable that HHH got sick of Flair. We should keep in mind that Flair and Arn Anderson were the best of friends for decades, until a big fallout a few years ago. Who knows, but Flair is now 71, and the fact that he is even alive is a testament to what the human body can endure, considering he lived most of his life partying so hard that it would have killed most of us in our 40s.

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Maybe Austin and Hogan are only paid for appearances, and Flair had some kind of monthly minimum?

Maybe Flair didnt want to resign with his recent health issues?

Maybe Austin and Hogan draw more attention to the WWE brand and are therefore considered more valuable?

Maybe the WWE will also terminate Hogan and Austins contracts when they expire, and this is a cost cutting measure due to covid19?

Whatever the reason, WWE certainly hasnt exploited Flair. He's been pampered and hyped for decades, and was always treated as the legend of legends, even though he ironically could never outdraw WWF's own stars. I.e. the beforementioned Austin and Hogan.

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In his recent interview on Austin's show he said he finally is totally debt free and has $1 million in the bank account. We'll see how long that'll last him and if he's actually learned something from decades of spending every cent and then having to beg for work

While I agree that was tasteless, as you mentioned yourself that was Charlottes idea and hardly something you can blame on WWE. Sure, they greenlit it, but when Charlotte herself comes up with it, a wwe employee must assume she talked with her father about it.

And while using a real life death for heat is terrible, i don't think it's exploitation of talent like i.e. using Jake Roberts or Scott Halls real life problems for storylines, exposing their inner demons to millions of people on national television. That's really kicking someone when theyre down. Man sometimes wrestling promoters are sucky people...

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Well it's not inconceivable that HHH got sick of Flair. We should keep in mind that Flair and Arn Anderson were the best of friends for decades, until a big fallout a few years ago. Who knows, but Flair is now 71, and the fact that he is even alive is a testament to what the human body can endure, considering he lived most of his life partying so hard that it would have killed most of us in our 40s.

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I mean, he can't add anything on-screen anymore. He was once one of the greatest promos and characters of all time, but age has caught up with him. His "promo" at the Starrcade Network special was legitimately painful to watch.